


Animal Instincts and Gem Eyes

by kopycat_101



Category: Miraculous Ladybug, Tokyo Mew Mew
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magical Girls, Bisexual Disaster Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Bisexual Luka Couffaine, Bisexual Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Crime Fighting, Femslash, Friendship, Lesbian Juleka Couffaine, Magical Girls, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Miraculous Ladybug and Tokyo Mew Mew crossover, Nathaniel suffers and wonders why his life is like an anime now, No prior knowledge needed to read this fic, Other, Pre-Slash, Romance, Slash, Teen Crush, Teen Romance, Teenage Drama, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25386973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kopycat_101/pseuds/kopycat_101
Summary: Nathaniel Kurtzberg is a less-than-popular boy just trying to survive high school. The universe has other plans.Not only does he suddenly have the interest of the most popular boy in Dupont, he’s working with his long-time crush, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. And he also has to fight monsters to save the Earth, while wearing a frilly dress.(Or, the one where Nathaniel turns into a magical girl anime protagonist, and he is So Done With Life.)
Relationships: Alix Kubdel & Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Luka Couffaine/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Master Fu, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Nathaniel Kurtzberg & Original Kurtzberg Character(s)
Comments: 40
Kudos: 35





	1. 1.1: A New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> I have a whole bunch of other things I should be working on, but no. I decided to start this new one.
> 
> This idea captured my interest and won't let go. So here we are.
> 
> We've got a magical girl au on our hands! If any of you can guess the series after just the first chapter alone, I'll be both impressed and very happy.

* * *

Nathaniel Kurtzberg is not a popular person.

He pretty much ghosts across his life in school hoping he doesn’t catch anyone’s eye, because catching people’s eye usually leads to being bullied. And he always seems to gather unwanted attention, with his naturally bright-red hair that makes it hard to blend into the background.

He usually has his best friend Alix by his side, who he’s known since they were toddlers. She tries to protect him, but they’re in different classes, so that’s not always viable.

The current situation he’s in makes him almost consider that he’s either stuck in a dream, or people have _really_ gotten creative when it comes to pranking him.

Standing across from him, as cool as a cucumber, is a very tall and very gorgeous boy. Who’s smiling at him. And talking to him. What the _fuck_.

“Hey, you’re Nathaniel, right? Nathaniel Kurtzberg?” asks one of the most popular boys in Dupont.

“…Yes,” Nathaniel says quietly, cautiously, gripping his bag tighter.

“Cool! I’d thought so. Juleka’s told me about you,” says the other boy, with a nice and winning smile. “I’m Luka Couffaine, by the way—”

“I know who you are,” he interrupts, eyeing Luka with skepticism. Luka Couffaine is the most popular boy in school, and two years older than Nathaniel, in his final year. He’s in a rock band, and has top grades, and always carries his guitar everywhere. He also has a fan club, of which most of the female student population is a part of.

The other boy simply blinks back at him, before smiling. “Oh! Has Jules told you about me, then? That makes things easier.”

Nathaniel squints back incredulously, shifting his overgrown bangs from his face with a jerk of his head. He barely talks to Juleka—they’re both on the introverted and quiet side—but she’s nice. And tentatively who he’d consider a friend.

“Um, do you need something?” the redhead asks, to the point. Because this situation is fucking weird enough as it is, and he’d like to get back to reality, thanks.

“Right! Right, sorry,” Luka says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Fucker’s way too cute and charming; he must be faking it. Or he’s been blessed with both good looks _and_ charismatic charm, which is _totally_ unfair. “I was just wondering if you’re free on Sunday?”

Nathaniel feels his brain stall instantly. His mouth falls open. “W-What?”

“See, my sister and I won some tickets to this new exhibit about endangered species. She’s taking Rose with her prize, but I have this extra ticket lying around, and no one to really go with?” the older boy starts, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ticket, handing it over.

Nathaniel takes the slip of paper with numb fingers. It…looks like the real deal. It’s all professionally printed, with a watermark, and everything.

By why _him_ , of all people…? The elder Couffaine sibling gets love confessions daily. He has a ton of admirers. And he’s popular, so he has no lack of friends either!

“Why me…?” Nathaniel finds himself asking, staring down at the details of the ticket. “We’ve never even spoken before now.”

“Juleka says you’re nice, and I’ve been wanting to meet you properly for a while now,” the older boy shrugs, scratching at his temple. Luka’s smile is kind as he asks, “So, how ‘bout it? Wanna come with?”

Nathaniel looks back down at the ticket, then back up at the other’s hopeful expression.

Alright…He’ll bite.

Juleka is a nice girl, and a good friend. Maybe she was too anxious to give him the ticket herself and had to resort to asking her more outgoing older sibling to do it for her.

If that’s the case, Luka is really good at making it seem like he actually cares. It’s…almost nice.

Nathaniel can pretend that Luka is asking on his own volition. Luka Couffaine, the most popular boy in Dupont.

So Nathaniel nods. “Alright, I will. Thanks.”

Luka’s answering smile is as brilliant as the sun.

* * *

Nathaniel wakes up Sunday morning by nearly toppling out of his bed, when his Dad comes in his room to ask, “Didn’t you say you were meeting up with your friends at ten? It’s nearly nine-thirty—”

“Aw, fuck me running!” he yelps, eyes blown wide and scrambling to chuck his pajamas off. “Thanks, Papa!”

Nathaniel gets ready in lightning speed, having already set out his outfit the night before. Something different from what he usually wears, but not _too_ fancy, like he was going on a date.

It wasn’t a date, after all. He was just going to hang out with Juleka and Rose, and Juleka’s older brother.

Juleka’s supremely hot, super popular, older brother.

He shoves the brand-new band t-shirt over his head, then an unbuttoned shirt, cursing his decision to wear the pair of skinny jeans that made him look like he actually had a butt. Skinny jeans are always tricky to wiggle into, but especially on a time crunch.

But it fit his aesthetic, so it was too late to back out now.

By the time he combed his hair and brushed his teeth, and got to the subway, he had fifteen minutes left. On a subway ride that takes at least twenty.

Nathaniel is full of anxiety, bouncing on his toes, as he waits for his stop. The second the doors open, he rushes through.

The only time he gives himself pause is to double-check his hair and outfit in the sparkling windows of a shop, before he rounds the block to where the exhibit is.

Juleka, Luka, and Rose are already there, obviously waiting on his dumb, late ass.

“Hey…!” he calls, raising a hand and jogging up to the trio. “S-sorry I’m late.”

“Nathaniel, you’re here!” Rose squeals, waving at him excitedly, bouncing on her feet. She was wearing pink, as per usual, but it was in the form of a sundress. “Good to see you!” Juleka, silent by her side and wearing nearly all black, nods at him.

“You weren’t too late. I don’t think we’ve even hit the ten-minute mark,” Luka says with a smile, surprisingly soothing. His smile makes something in Nathaniel’s chest trip. It doesn’t help that he looks supremely attractive in a leather jacket. “You’ve got your ticket?”

All Nathaniel can do is nod, face going warm in embarrassment.

“Alright, I think that means it’s time to get in line,” the eldest nods, ushering the small group towards the entrance without preamble.

* * *

The exhibit, titled “The Red Data Animal Show”, is held in steel-and-glass exhibition hall flanked by grassy lots. It looks very picturesque, and very fancy.

When they step inside, after handing in their tickets, the group is ushered to one side of the queue to declare all metal items and pass through a metal detector.

“This is a lot, don’t you think?” Nathaniel whispers to Rose and Juleka, all of them wide-eyed as they watch other patrons put their cell phones and wallets in separate plastic bins.

“Well, this exhibition hall was just recently opened last year, I think. Not to mention, a lot of the photography and stuff used in this show must be valuable,” Luka reasons, quite calmly, completely unruffled. “They want to make sure everything’s safe and protected for the exhibit.”

The four high schoolers do as instructed, soon enough passing through the metal detectors. Which are topped by little golden cat statues, tying it to the exhibit itself, which is a nice touch.

“Aw, Juleka, look at the little cats!” Rose gasps, pointing up at the statues. “They’re so cute!”

“They’re really going all-in for this, huh?” Juleka mutters, eyeing the statues as well.

“They look valuable,” Nathaniel nods. “Not sure if those are real gems for the eyes, or just really well-painted resin…”

Maybe he imagines it, but the eyes almost flash blue. But that must be a trick of the light.

By the entrance, they’re handed pamphlets for the exhibit. Over the intercom, a woman instructs the patrons to walk around the exhibit and enjoy themselves, also promoting the gift shop to buy souvenirs.

Nathaniel leafs through his pamphlet. “ _The red data animals are endangered species. More than 2,500 species face extinction today_.” Huh. That’s…depressing.

The four go to the left-most part of the hall, looking at all the plaques and photographs. Nathaniel is a speed-reader, reading up the names and facts on the plaques. But he stays riveted by the beautiful, candid photography of these amazing animals, his pace slowing and stalling as his eyes take in the details.

“They’re so amazing, aren’t they?” a voice asks softly, over his shoulder.

Nathaniel startles, turning slightly, catching Luka looking awed at the photographs.

“They’re really majestic-looking animals…And to think, most of them are barely surviving…” the older boy says, sadness in his tone. “Even with our protection, these animals still go extinct…”

“I know. It’s as tragedy,” Nathaniel nods, turning back to look at the photo in front of him of the Andean Mountain Cat. “At least we can still document these animals and bring awareness to them. I sort of wish I’d brought my sketchbook with me…”

“Oh, that’s right! You’re an artist, aren’t you?” Luka asks. Nathaniel eyes him warily, cautious of the cool boy knowing his interests; Juleka probably told him, but still.

“Yeah, I guess,” the redhead shrugs.

“If you could meet one of these animals and draw it from life, which one would you choose?”

Nathaniel blinks, taken aback by the thoughtful question. “Hm. That’s a tough decision…I don’t think I’ve seen enough of the exhibit to really choose, y’know?”

“That’s fair,” the older boy laughs. Damn it, he even has a nice laugh…! What the hell? “What about this one? Would you draw it?”

He points to a photograph diagonally from them. Nathaniel reads the plaque; the Iriomote Wildcat.

“It’s pretty cute, right?” Luka smiles at him, soft and sweet, his blue eyes crinkled and sparkling.

“Yeah. Cute,” the redhead mutters, just a bit dazedly.

Luka looks up, peering around himself.

“Oh…! I think we’ve lost Jules and Rose,” he says, not sounding surprised at all. “Hm. I guess they wanted some alone-time…”

“So, they’ve ditched us?” Nathaniel can’t help but ask, a bit dryly. Which, yeah. Makes sense. Those two were attached to the hip, and got lost on their own little world…

“Sorry about that,” Luka sighs, an apologetic look on his face. “I know you only agreed to come since we were going as a group of friends. You didn’t sign up for an impromptu date.”

Nathaniel blinks back at him, startled. “Wait. _Date_?”

“Well, the tickets were pretty much a perfect setup for a double date. And that _does_ seem to be what we’re on, right?” the older boy points out, with a crooked little grin, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, _I’m_ not exactly complaining on ending up on a date, especially with a cute boy, but _you_ might have some reservations…”

Nathaniel can’t help but goggle back at him, sputtering. His face feels like it’s on fire.

Did. Did Luka really just call him cute? He’s not dreaming, right?

“You’re under no obligation to agree, of course,” Luka goes on, looking a little nervous. “And if you feel uncomfortable, we can go find Rose and Juleka right away.”

“No! N-no, it’s—” Nathaniel clears his throat, ducking his head. “I’d…I’d be insane not to agree, considering—well. Um. Y-You’re really cool.”

Oh God. Oh God, he just said that aloud.

“So…” the other boy starts, dragging the word out. Nathaniel watches as he shoves his hands in his jeans. “Does this mean you’re down for it to be a date?”

“Y-yeah. I’m down,” he squeaks out.

Ugh, he’s so fucking _lame_ …! He’s on a date with _Luka Couffaine_ , and he’s acting like a disaster! More than half of Dupont would kill for this chance!

“Cool.” Nathaniel looks up through his bangs cautiously, only to be blinded by a brilliant smile. “I’m glad Juleka told me about you. Though I’m sure she’ll complain about me going after one of her friends later…”

Nathaniel can’t help the snort of laughter, a hand flying up to his face as he starts to fall into a giggling fit. “S-sort of their fault f-for abandoning us in the first place…What else did they expect?”

“Ha! You know, you’ve got a point,” Luka chuckles along.

When the redhead finishes his dumb giggling fit, he wipes at the corner of his eye, looking up at Luka. The older boy is smiling so softly and tenderly at him, it makes his heart do cartwheels.

“Let’s go to the rest of the exhibit. We might finish in time for lunch.”

“R-Right,” Nathaniel nods, falling into step with the older boy, their arms brushing.

* * *

“Uncle…? What’s wrong?” Marinette asks, carefully opening the door to the lab in the basement.

Her Uncle Fu sits in front of a panel of computers, the screen lights illuminating his features.

The teenager enters the room, closing the door behind her.

“Please come and look at this,” the old man says, quite gravely.

Marinette rushes over, peering at the screens. She blinks, eyes going wide. “It’s perfect…!”

“A perfect match,” Uncle Fu nods.

* * *

“Wow. Look at all the things they have here…!” Luka breathes, looking around the vast gift shop. “Pretty much everything is themed with whatever endangered animal you could think of.”

“I think they’re playing favorites, though,” Nathaniel snorts, gesturing to the section of the store just dedicated to panda merchandise. “But maybe that’s just me.”

Luka laughs, bright and warm, throwing his head back. Nathaniel feels a little proud of making such a successful joke.

“You’re right! Heh. Pandas must be a best-seller,” the older boy nods with a smile. “You going to buy anything?”

“Maybe some sort of pen or something,” the redhead shrugs, eyeing the price tag of a nearby trinket warily. “Things look expensive here…”

“Very bougie,” Luka states seriously, “especially for the wallets of a high schooler.”

Nathaniel snickers. “No kidding. But I don’t think I’ll break the bank with buying something to draw with.”

They end up exiting the giftshop, Luka with a set of special-themed pins only sold with the exhibit, and Nathaniel with a fancy ballpoint pen that was engraved with the exhibit’s name, the end of the pen a bronze head of a panda.

“And in the end, it doesn’t even matter. I’m still another victim fallen to the panda conspiracy,” the redhead drawls, showing off his trinket to his date, causing the other boy to fall into a fit of laughter. “Here I thought I _wasn’t_ going to be biased…”

“Don’t worry, two of the pins I bought ended up being pandas, too.”

“Then we’re both traitors?”

“Oh, the biggest,” Luka jokes, smiling toothily and bumping his hip against Nathaniel’s. Considering how tiny and light he is, Nathaniel nearly topples right over, but manages to keep his footing. “Crap, sorry! You’re way lighter than I expected.”

“I demand recompense,” the redhead deadpans, even as he feels his face warm in a blush.

“Sorry, sorry,” Luka says, cringing and clapping his hands in front of himself in a sign of contrition. “Will buying you a drink suffice?”

Nathaniel hems and haws, as the two walk out of the exhibition hall and towards one of the grassy lots nearby.

“Hm…Alright, I guess that would work,” he ends up nodding, the edge of his mouth pulled up in a smile.

Luka smiles back at him. “Great. How about I get us some juice to wash down the taste of betrayal?”

“I’d find that a perfect toast,” Nathaniel nods, grin widening. “Get me a strawberry, if you can?”

“Coming right up!” Luka chirps, with a two-fingered salute. “You should sit down while you wait.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for Juleka and Rose, while I’m at it,” the redhead agrees.

“Perfect! I’ll be back soon, then!” the older boy says, giving a dorky little wave and grin, before he turns on his heel and makes his way to find a set of vending machines.

Nathaniel collapses onto the nearest free bench he comes across, feeling giddy and dazed. He presses the back of one of his hands against his cheek, feeling it be still slightly warm to the touch.

Aw, crap. He…He really likes Luka, doesn’t he?

Ugh. This wasn’t even supposed to be a _thing_ …! Luka is _way_ out of his league! Like, light years above him!

“It’s just one date, Nath. And then he’ll dump your ass. Don’t get your hopes up,” he mutters to himself, sighing.

* * *

“The preparations are complete, Uncle,” Marinette says, gaze flickering across the screens in front of her. Her eyes fall on the screen showing the image of a familiar boy with red hair half-covering his face.

“Do you know this young man, Marinette…?” Uncle Fu asks her, as she hesitates.

“Yes, Uncle. He’s in my class,” she responds, voice soft and regretful.

Nathaniel…he was a sweet soul. Marinette would even consider him a friend, despite them not speaking much in general.

The old man sighs, the screens of the computers illuminating the grim features. “Then I’m sorry for what we must do to him, Marinette. But the world depends on him.”

“I know, Uncle Fu. I just…” she bites her lip. “I just wish I could take his place.”

“You’re already doing enough, dear,” the old man tells her kindly, rubbing at one of her shoulders. “You will serve as his guide. And that is immeasurable.”

“Okay,” she nods, sighing.

The two peer at the screens, grim-faced.

“The Earth’s future…will soon change,” the old man starts, “Just as it has in years before. Let the project commence.”

Master Fu clicks on the red button in his hands, and the screens glow ever brighter.

* * *

Nathaniel nearly topples out of his bench as the ground rumbles. “A-An earthquake?!” he helps, looking around himself wildly.

Christ. He’s never actually lived through an earthquake before…!

Nathaniel crouches, trying to keep his balance, as around him trash cans topple over and couples cling to one another.

Over in the distance, the top of a brick building is barely visible over the grassy lot of the park. The very top of the building glows an ominous red.

“What the _hell_ is that?!” he hisses under his breath, right as the ground under him starts to glow, and Nathaniel passes the fuck out.

* * *

He’s…floating.

All around him is a peaceful, green color, blue bubbles drifting across his vision.

“Where am I…?” Nathaniel wonders, reaching out a hand, popping one of the bubbles.

Before him, a mass of bubbles float together, before popping all at once, revealing…A cat?

“That’s…That’s one of the endangered species from the exhibit,” Nathaniel notes. “The Iriomote Wildcat, I think?”

Nathaniel crouches down, as the little cat pads towards him. “Are you, like…Some sort of spirit animal or something? Maybe a guardian angel?”

The cat merely meows at him, which, fair.

Then the fucking cat jumps at him. Nathaniel catches the thing in his arms? His bare arms. Because he’s apparently not wearing any clothes.

Was he always naked? What the fuck…?

Before he can wonder any more about it, the cat leans into his chest and…disappears. Or, more like, it merges with him.

“Is this what doing drugs is like?” Nathaniel can’t help but wonder, as his entire form glows, and his thoughts fade away

* * *


	2. 1.2: Turning into a Cat?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter up! More worldbuilding and friendship, and a bit of action in the end.

* * *

When Nathaniel next wakes up, he blinks blearily up at the sunny sky.

What…What the _fuck_ even happened…?

“Oh…! You’re awake.”

Nathaniel turns to look on his left.

Sitting next to him is Luka Couffaine, the most popular boy at Dupont.

It takes a good five seconds for his brain to reboot, but when it does, Nathaniel sits up instantly.

“W-What happened? Did I fall asleep?” he yelps, looking around himself. He barely catches the cloth that slips from his chest into his lap. It looks like Luka’s leather jacket.

“I didn’t want to move you…You seemed like you needed the rest,” Luka says, smiling gently at him.

The redhead sputters, feeling his face warm. “I-I am _so_ s-sorry!”

“It’s fine, really. I’m just glad that you’re not injured.”

“I-Injured…? Wait.” Nathaniel frowns, going through his hazy memories. “There…There was an earthquake, right?”

“Yeah. And when I came back to find you, you were…You were collapsed on the ground, not moving,” Luka says, voice quiet and serious. “I checked to see if you’d fallen and hit your head, but you didn’t seem to bruise anywhere, and there wasn’t any blood. So, I just…thought it might be best that you weren’t moved much, and slept it off.”

Nathaniel’s fingers clench into the jacket in his hands, and he ducks his head. “Th-thanks…For staying with me, then.”

“It was no trouble! Really,” Luka insists, and a hand with a juice bottle nudges at his lap. “Here, drink up. You’re probably thirsty.”

“R-right,” he nods, taking the juice with one hand, the other handing back the jacket. “H-Here’s your jacket. Thanks again.”

Nathaniel is quick to crack the plastic lid open, feeling parched. He drinks half of it in one go.

“Have you really been waiting all this time…? How, um…H-How long was I out?”

“It’s really nothing!” Luka insists, waving a hand. “And, hm…I think it’s been, I dunno. Three hours, give or take?”

Nathaniel nearly chokes on his own spit. “Th-three _hours_?!” he yelps, voice cracking on the second word.

“Yeah, we should probably go home by now,” the older boy muses, with a small smile. “I already sent Jules and Rose ahead a while ago, but I’m sure they’re wondering…”

“I-I’ll text them right now,” the redhead decides, flustered, pulling out his phone to send two quick texts. Looks like he’s missed a call and a string of texts from Alix, too. He sends his best friend a text telling her he’s okay and he’ll talk to her later.

He sighs at the flood of messages that come afterwards, ignoring them for the time being. Alix is going to kill him later, he already knows…

“You ready to go, or do you need more time to rest?” Luka asks him, soft and concerned.

“I-I’m fine!” Nathaniel stutters out, blinking as Luka stands and offers him a hand. He carefully takes it, feeling the breath leave his lungs as he’s easily hauled to his feet.

Oh no. That’s kinda hot.

“Now, where do you live? I can walk you home,” the older boy starts, not letting go of Nathaniel’s hand.

The redhead feels his face burn as hot as a furnace, embarrassment and happiness warring within him.

“Y-You don’t have to do that! Really, I’m fine now—”

“You collapsed and passed out for three hours…” Luka points out, raising a brow at him. “Are you sure?”

“I-I can walk to and from the station!” Nathaniel says, feeling himself cringe and wilt under the other’s steady, concerned gaze. “Y-You’ve already went out of your way, I-I don’t want to make you even later getting home…”

“Alright…” the other says, just a bit haltingly. “But when you get home, can you text me that you made it?”

“Y-Yeah! Yeah, I can do that.”

Nathaniel nearly drops his phone, fumbling it as he passes it over to his date—and _wow_ , is that strange to think—who is swift to tap on the screen to input his number.

“Here.” Luka hands back the phone. “But if you feel bad at any point, don’t push yourself, okay? Sit down until the dizzy spell leaves.”

Luka…really is showing his colors as an older sibling, huh? It’s sort of sweet, how worried he is.

“Will do,” Nathaniel nods, pocketing his phone. “Um. T-Text you soon?”

“Yeah. I’ll be waiting,” the older boy says, giving a soft smile that makes something in Nathaniel’s insides turn to jelly.

Instead of staying and having a crisis, Nathaniel awkwardly waves goodbye, watching as Luka walks in the opposite direction of where he’s heading.

* * *

Nathaniel finally stops screaming into his pillow long enough for him to give his best friend an explanation of the buck-wild day he’s just had.

Alix sits on his bed, staring at him intently as he rambles. Once he’s done, he sighs, staring up at her imploringly.

“So, lemme get this straight,” Alix starts, jabbing a finger at Nath. “You went to that thing with Juleka, Rose, and Juleka’s super-popular older brother. And during it, the lesbians ditched you two. So you both ended up deciding to call it a date? Is that right?”

“Y-Yeah…” Nathaniel mutters, burying his burning face in a pillow.

“So you go on this date—with the most popular boy in school, might I add—”

“I know!”

“And you’re on this date, it’s going great—pff—and then…And then there’s an earthquake?”

“An earthquake, like, can you fucking believe it?”

“So there’s an earthquake. And next thing you know, you’re waking up, it’s three hours later, and you apparently passed the fuck out and slept like the dead.”

“Eyup.”

“You literally slept on a date with Luka Couffaine. And he stayed with you, those entire three hours, just to make sure you were okay.”

“Exactly in one.”

“…Jesus Christ, Nath, this sounds like some shit from one of those anime we watch,” Alix snorts, and Nathaniel whines, raising his head from his pillow to glare at her.

“I know, right?!”

“How. How is this your life?”

“That’s what _I’m_ wondering!”

All his best friend does is cackle in his face, like the traitor she is.

“Well, you better hope Luka wants another date.”

“A-are you fucking kidding me?!” Nathaniel yelps, chucking his pillow at Alix. “Why would he even want that?! I fell _asleep_ on him!”

“You passed out, actually. There’s a difference,” Alix points out, rather logically and calmly.

The redhead throws his hands up. “Still! Who _does_ that, Al? I’ll be lucky if he wants to stay friends after that!”

“Or—and stay with me here—or he’ll want to go on another date, since this first one ended badly. Which wasn’t your fault, by the way! You didn’t exactly _ask_ for an earthquake to knock you the fuck out.”

“I didn’t ask for _any_ of this, actually…” Nathaniel grumbles crossly, taking another pillow and hugging it to his chest. “Like…The fact that I got a date at all with him in the first place is a complete and utter fluke.”

“Maybe your luck’s just looking up,” Alix says, nudging him on the thigh with her foot. “So, keep positive! You got a date with a cute boy, so hold out hope for _two_ dates with a cute boy.”

“That’s impossible,” Nathaniel groans, burying his face in his pillow again. “One hundred percent impossible.”

“Well, now you’re just sounding like Max Brain Kante, at this point,” Alix snorts, “And if he were here, he’d be running calculations and giving you a _way_ better statistic. The chance of you getting that date in the first place was probably one percent, so who’s to say your luck won’t keep holding?”

“Tell me that when I see his face next time at school,” the redhead sighs, peeking his face out from his pillow.

“Oh, I will. You need all the hype-manning you can get,” his best friend states, with a wide and toothy grin.

“Not sure if I should thank you or be terrified.”

“Why not both?” Alix grins cheekily, in a way that spells trouble. But this is Alix. She’s always trouble.

Nathaniel resigns himself to his life being a dumpster fire tomorrow.

* * *

Nathaniel doesn’t really have a chance to meet Luka in the morning to talk to him. After all, they’re both in completely different grades, and it’s not like he knows where the other boy usually hangs around in.

“Did you hear? Luka’s going to be practicing in the music room today!” a random girl squeals to her friends, the group giggling and running down the hall.

…Well, that answered that.

“Half the school will be trying to look in on him practicing,” Alix drawls, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Sorry, Nath, but I don’t think you’ve got a chance.”

He sighs. “Maybe at lunch…?”

“Maybe.”

* * *

Nathaniel ends up sleeping through most of his classes, only blearily blinking his eyes open when Alix pokes him awake.

“Dude, it’s lunch. Have you been asleep this entire time…?” his best friend snorts, snickering.

Nathaniel feels his face warm, and he gives a sheepish grin. “Uh, well…looks like it?”

“Did you stay up again last night?” she demands in a huff, giving him a flat look.

“No! I didn’t even do that, just—” he yawns, covering his mouth. “I feel weirdly tired, that’s nya’ll.”

Ugh. He _must_ be tired, if he’s making weird puns.

“Hm…Well, still. It’s time to eat, so let’s move it, buster!”

“Aye aye,” he deadpans, standing up and stretching. “Where to today?”

“The usual?”

“Sure.”

Nathaniel packs up his things, knowing better by now to leave anything unattended. Marinette may be a great Class Representative and wrangled Bustier’s class so no one is a bully, but old habits die hard.

He feels eyes on him as he packs up his things. When he turns to look, one Marinette Dupain-Cheng is frowning at him in concern, moving towards this desk.

Oh. Oh god. Marinette is coming over to talk to him. What does he do?!

“Are you okay, Nathaniel…? Do you need to go see the nurse?” the half-Chinese girl asks, sweetly concerned.

“N-No?” he squeaks out, clearing his throat. “I-I’m fine?”

“Okay…” the Class Representative says, eyeing with skepticism and concern. “If you feel sick, though, tell me so I can take you to the nurse, alright?”

“R-Right,” he stutters, feeling himself start to sweat. He can _feel_ Alix’s gaze drilling into his skull. “Th-thanks, Marinette.”

“Oh, it’s not problem!” the girl smiles back at him brightly, and Nathaniel nearly wheezes at the brilliance of it. “Have a good lunch, okay, you two?”

“Sure thing,” Alix nods, taking the redhead by the elbow, and all but steering him out of the classroom.

Nathaniel’s ears burn in shame. He cannot, apparently, talk to pretty people. Much less someone as pretty and nice as Marinette Dupain-Cheng, who he’s been crushing on for months now.

Though, it’s not like he’s special in that regard. Plenty of people have crushes on Marinette. She’s one of the most popular girls in their grade.

“You’ll get ‘er next time, tiger,” Alix tells him in an undertone, patting his elbow sympathetically. All Nathaniel does in response is duck his head, letting his bangs cover his burning face.

* * *

It’s nice to eat on the roof. Especially with how him and Alix sneak up there, knowing the secret to unlocking the door. It’s quiet, and deserted.

“Nice day today,” Alix grins, a hand up to shield her eyes from the sun.

“Yeah, it is,” Nathaniel notes idly, “but it’ll rain later.”

Alix blinks over at him. “Wait, how? It’s a perfect day out!”

Actually…yeah. How _does_ he know that? Huh.

“Gut feeling?” he asks weakly.

His best friend just eyes him oddly. “I doubt it will, but if it actually ends up raining, I might just give you five euros.”

“I’ll hold you to it, then,” he shrugs, already used to Alix’s constant bets.

When they properly sit down and open their lunchboxes, Nath’s eyes zero in on the steamed fish in his.

“Uh, Nath? You’re drooling.”

“A-Am I?” he mumbles, leaning in to take a long sniff at the fish in his lunch box.

“Dude, I think you’re purring. Did you turn into a cat or something?” Alix teases.

“Fuck off, _mrow_ ,” he mutters, before diving face first into his lunch, barely remembering to use his fork as he does.

“Nath, you’re gonna choke—”

“Mmmfm?”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full!”

“ _Mrow_?”

“Don’t think pretend to act like a cat will make me less pissed—”

“’M not.”

“Then what’s with the fish and the meowing?” Alix sighs, rolling her eyes. “What, are you a furry now or something—”

“NO!” Nathaniel sputters, shoving at Alix’s shoulders. “F-Fuck off!”

* * *

“I think the Project was a success, Uncle. He’s been displaying signs of changing. They’re subtle, but there.”

“Very good. Thank you for your hard work, Marinette. I’ll see you after school, dear.”

“Okay! See you after school, Uncle.”

Marinette clicks her phone off, and sighs, frowning down at it. The guilt is like a vice on her insides, but… This is what needs to happen.

She pockets her phone, and makes her way back to Bustier’s class.

* * *

Nathaniel bites at his nail, sighing and staring up at the sky.

He’s been acting kinda weird today. Even Alix pointed it out to him, before he asked for some time alone to think, and she went back inside to spend the last few minutes of her lunch finding something to do.

He felt bad, pushing her away…Especially since they only shared one class, plus lunch…but he needed to sort some stuff out.

Not only did he have to talk to Luka at some point, he was starting to act…odd.

He made a strange weather prediction from a gut feeling. He’s suddenly gone crazy for fish. He’s exhausted this entire morning, despite sleeping well last night. He’s even accidentally meowed, he thinks.

Why the hell is he getting all these cat-like tendencies from…?

Unless they’re all just a coincidence…

“Nathaniel…?”

The redhead blinks, turning around to stare at the entrance to the roof. Luka blinks back at him, stunned, before a smile lights up his face. “Oh! So it is you…!”

“L-Luka?” Nathaniel asks, confused at the other’s convenient appearance.

“What’re you doing here? Eating lunch?” Luka asks, getting closer. Nathaniel notes the guitar case slung over his back.

“I already ate, but yeah,” Nathaniel shrugs, patting the concrete next to him in invitation. “What’re _you_ doing here?”

“Just looking for some peace and quiet,” the older boy says, shrugging off his guitar case and plopping himself down. “A lot of people showed up to watch me practice this morning, which was nice of them, but I really couldn’t hear myself think. Decided to come up here to work some things out.”

“Makes sense,” the redhead nods, watching as Luka expertly unzips his case and gets out his guitar. “Um. I wanted to thank you.”

“For…?” Luka hums, positioning the guitar in his lap, his fingers fiddling with the tuning.

“F-For yesterday,” Nathaniel clarifies shyly.

“Ah. Well, again, it wasn’t a big deal,” Luka shoots him a small smile. “Are you okay, by the way?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine, _mrow_ ,” he assures. Then pauses.

Shit, did he just meow again…?

Luka softly strums his guitar. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Nathaniel feels himself getting flustered, and he cements his mouth shut. Luka keeps strumming along, sometimes pausing, sometimes playing a sequence back again.

It’s…nice. Soothing.

Nathaniel finds himself relaxing. If this is what the fangirls have been gushing over…He can see the appeal.

“It’s beautiful weather, isn’t it?” Luka asks softly, playing a light and jaunty little tune.

“It is,” Nathaniel nods, “but it’s going to rain soon, _mrow_.”

Crap. Did he do it again…?!

“Will it? Hm,” Luka blinks, looking from Nathaniel’s slowly reddening face to the sky. “It hasn’t rained in a while, but today could be the day.”

Wow, this guy was like…majorly chill. Did he always go along with someone’s suggestion? Was he really that polite?

Nathaniel just sits back to listen to Luka strum his guitar until the lunch bell rings.

“Ah, shoot, we’ll be late,” the older boy sighs, looking over to smile sheepishly at the redhead. “Sorry for keeping you.”

“S’fine,” Nathaniel shrugs, fiddling with the strap of his bag. “I-I, um, I really like listening to you play. You’ve got strong chord progressions.”

Seriously, _that’s_ the best he could come up with…? Complimenting his chord progressions?!

“Heh. Thanks,” Luka says, smiling warmly at him. “Most people just say, ‘wow, you play well’, and leave it at that.”

Yeah, he could imagine. Girls go gaga over guys that play guitar, whether or not they know anything about music.

“So, I’ll see you later?” the older boy asks, blue eyes as bright as his smile.

“Y-Yeah,” Nathaniel nods, standing up and shouldering his bag. “Um. I’ll text you?”

“Sounds good.”

Nathaniel goes back to class with a stomach full of butterflies.

* * *

Nathaniel texts Alix a message apologizing for bailing instead of walking home with her, leaving the instant the final bell rings.

He needs a walk to clear his head.

Maybe it’s more than that, though.

Maybe…he needs to find out what the hell happened yesterday.

After all, there was that earthquake. Then a red light from a building? And then the ground started to glow under his feet.

And ever since then, Nathaniel’s been acting…off.

So Nathaniel goes back to the ‘scene of the crime’, if it can even be called that.

When he gets off the train station, he becomes a man on a mission.

He walks near the entrance of the exhibition hall, before turning and going to the nearby park, trying to find the bench he sat in before. The exact spot where he was sitting when it all went wrong.

There’s nothing wrong with the bench, when he checks. He kicks at the edge of it lightly, and it moves slightly.

Hm. Was it loosened from the earthquake somehow…?

He sits down on the bench, trying to jostle the memories out.

He was sitting here…And then he looked in the distance, when there was a red light…

Nathaniel shoves his bangs away from his eyes, squinting in the distance. There was the roof of a building, he remembers…

And it’s visible from the bench he’s sitting at.

Standing up, with a goal in mind, Nathaniel walks towards that building’s roof.

There’s answers around here. He knows it.

* * *

After walking up a flight of stairs, Nathaniel comes across…a shop? Of some sort?

It’s a large building, all colorful brick. It’s constructed to almost look like a miniature castle, flanked by hedges.

Hm. A unique and rather inconspicuous shop, out past the park. Maybe it’s a touristy place? Or a restaurant of some sort?

Nathaniel blinks, as a drop of rain lands on his face.

Shit. So he was right about the rain, huh? That’s just one more point towards the ‘weirdness factor’.

He ducks under the awning of the shop, feeling like a creeper as he does. He takes out his phone, as it lights up with a message from Luka, asking where he is.

Nathaniel texts back that he’s out on a walk, near the exhibition hall from yesterday.

“ _Where? I can’t find you_ ” is the message Nathaniel gets back, and he pauses, staring down at his phone.

Wait…Why is _Luka_ here? Nathaniel never mentioned coming back here to him, did he?

The only person he told was Alix.

So did Luka try to find him, only to run into Alix? Did she tell Luka? Probably. She keeps texting him, seemingly increasingly freaked out that he was wandering off alone.

“ _Out past the park, kind of. There’s a shop here_ ” Nathaniel texts back to Luka.

And then he feels something, deep in his gut. It’s like someone’s dumped a bucket of ice-water down his shirt.

The fuck was _that_ …? That feeling he just got, it’s like—

It’s like he could sense danger, somewhere.

His bag slips from his fingers, as well as his phone. His gaze turns to the right, and he feels his body start to move.

Nathaniel runs. He’s not sure where he’s going, his body taking him on autopilot.

He goes down the steps, into the park. Across the park’s cleared walkways.

No, the walkways are taking too long. Nathaniel hops into the grass, maneuvering through the bushes and trees.

He sees a head of dark hair and a dark jacket through the trees. “Luka…!”

“Nathaniel?” the other boy calls out, confused.

It’s starting to get foggy. Fuck, why is it suddenly so foggy?!

There’s a loud crash, and a bench goes flying. Through the fog, Nathaniel hears Luka curse.

When Nathaniel finally gets close enough to see Luka, a large shadow moves behind him.

And then Luka goes flying, too.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, any thoughts of that ending? haha ;3c


	3. 1.3: Justice Lies in a Boy in Love…?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to post all these chapters close to one another, so we can get the first "episode" out of the way.
> 
> Considering I'm partially rewriting an existing property, writing chapters is much quicker than doing a fully original work, which is nice.

* * *

Nathaniel feels himself freeze in place, gaping in horror as Luka’s swatted aside by a massive, shadowy creature.

“ _No_ …!” he feels the shout rip from his throat, watching as Luka crumples to the ground.

His limbs finally decide to cooperate, and he runs forwards. “Luka…!”

He doesn’t get far, however. Because in front of him lands some sort of gigantic, monster rat.

Literally, it’s nearly as tall as a tree, with blue-gray fur, tusks like a sabretooth tiger, and a ginormous gem embedded on its forehead.

“What the _hell_?!” Nathaniel finds himself screeching, watching in horror as the monster rat roars at him.

Oh fuck. He’s going to die. He’s gonna die die die _die_ —

And then he’s being tackled out of the way.

“Are you okay?!” a new voice demands, feminine and strong. Nathaniel opens his eyes, looking up at his savior.

Wait…is that…

“M-Marinette?!” he yelps out, eyes wide as saucers as he gapes up at his classmate.

“You okay, Nathaniel?” the half-Chinese girl grins at him.

Nathaniel doesn’t have time to answer her, because she hauls him up and slings him over her back in a fireman’s carry, jumping out of the way of another attack by the giant rat.

Holy shit.

Nathaniel tries to turn to look at what the _fuck’s_ going on, watching as Marinette unhooks something from her belt, and slings it up at a tree. She takes a running jump—him still on her shoulder like a sack of potatoes—and the both of them go whizzing up to land on a tree branch.

Holy _shit_.

“I’ll explain later. First, you have to defeat that thing,” Marinette says, setting him down on the tree branch to point at the monster rat.

Nathaniel has _so_ many fucking questions, and it’s only been, like, a _minute_ of this new level of absolute fuckery. His life has upgraded from a dumpster fire to a full-on landfill fire, and he’s not exactly sure why or how it happened.

“Before it kills your maybe-boyfriend, preferably,” Marinette adds, when all Nathaniel does is whip his gaze between her and the monster.

The breath feels like it’s punched straight from his lungs, as he looks down at Luka’s crumpled form.

He feels his eyes burn, and his skin itch, and something in him _howls_.

“Take this,” Marinette says, placing something in his hands, which glows a golden light. “And save him, Nathaniel.”

Nathaniel’s instincts take over, then. He crouches, leaping off the tree branch, landing in a graceful and battle-ready stance in front of Luka’s fallen form.

That dream had been real, he now knows. His body sings with the confirmation.

“I can feel my heart calling out…!” slips past his lips, as his form begins to glow. “Mew Mew Ruby! Metamorphosis…!”

* * *

It probably takes five seconds. Maybe less, maybe more. But he twirls on his feet, shoes replaced by knee-high boots. His clothing falling away to a breezy cloth, a tail and ears sprouting from his tailbone and head. There’s gloves on his hands, and a bow on his tail, and a whip of pure light that he twirls around him that manifests in a choker around his neck.

“That’s it, Nath! You’ve got it…!” he hears Marinette whoop, even as he stares down in shock at the pink, poofy dress he’s wearing.

“What’s with these clothes?!” he screeches, locking his knees together and attempting to shove his short skirt down his bare legs, even as he floats down to the ground like a gentle breeze is carrying him.

The instant his feet meet the ground, he’s jumping aside from a swipe by the monster rat.

He uses a hand to slap against the ground, turning him right-side up, even as he falls on his ass and stares up at the monster in terror.

“Nathaniel, use your—” Marinette starts to call, but he finishes the words automatically.

“Ruby Bell!” he yelps, trembling like a leaf. He snatches up a glowing object that shoots from his tail’s bow, holding it up in front of him like a shield.

And it does work like one. It creates a forcefield of shining, pink light, protecting him from the monster rat’s swipe.

Though Nathaniel still gets blown away from the force of the second attack meeting his forcefield, backflipping clumsily while he still keeps a death grip on his—weapon?

It’s a bell, apparently. A dark pink, heart-shaped object, with a little bell hanging from a metal heart applique in the middle of it.

Fuck. Okay. He’s got a bell as a weapon.

“I guess I have no other choice than to fight you…!” he says, crouching down and gritting his teeth. Following his instincts, he flips the bell in the air and catches it. Then deadass manages to leap like forty feet in the air to land on top of a railing above the rat, perfectly balanced.

“Stop right there, you monster!” he calls, as he poses on top of the rail, for some reason. His left arm is outstretched and holding his bell towards the monster like one does a sword to slay a dragon. “How dare you lay a finger on Luka?!”

Whyyyyy was he making dramatic declarations? Oh God. This was beyond embarrassing, but he can’t stop the words coming out—

“I’ll give you a taste of my cat spirit! Mrow!” he states, raising his bell up to his chest, his other hand doing the ‘cat thing’ by his head, posing once more.

He barely manages to jump out of the way of another attack, the monster rat smashing its teeth in the railing he’d been standing on before, demolishing it.

But as he’s up in the air, his body tells him what to do. His bell chimes—echoing like a gong or a church bell—and he lines up the applique of the bell to the same applique on his right hand’s glove.

And then he twirls in the air once, twice, three times, calling out “Ruby Ribbon, check…!” as his bell glows a holy light. He presents it in front of himself in a violent motion, aimed at the monster.

Beams of light shoot from his bell, enveloping the rat monster in a pink glow, and Nathaniel knows he’s won.

* * *

Nathaniel floats to the ground, knees weak and instantly giving out under him once he touches down. As he collapses to the ground, he watches the rat grows smaller, before a shower of pink sparkles spurt out.

The rat squeaks, scuttling away. But some sort of—of massive purple butterfly stays.

“Akuma retrieved.”

Nathaniel startles, whipping his head over to watch Marinette stride forwards, a floating _something_ bobbing along next to her. It was red, with black spots, like a ladybug.

And it also unhinged its jaw, sucking in the purple butterfly into its mouth like some sort of vacuum cleaner, which was. Disturbing.

“Akuma purified!” the little ladybug giggles in a cute, squeaky voice.

“Thank you, Tikki,” Marinette says, smiling at the floating ladybug-monster-thing. Then she turns her smile to him. “And thank you, Nathaniel. You did amazing!”

The redhead in question lets out a long breath. His entire body droops, and he’s enveloped in a quick flash of light.

When he looks back down, he’s wearing pants again. Thank _God_.

“C-Can I get an explanation now…?” he asks weakly.

Marinette smiles back at him sympathetically, offering her hand. “We should probably check on Luka first.”

Nathaniel takes it. She hauls him up easily. He wonders how the hell he hasn’t noticed Marinette being so _strong_ , before now.

Seriously, he’s had a crush on her for the past six months. He would’ve thought he’d notice something as big as this…

Nathaniel shakes his head. First, Luka. Then he can grill Marinette.

He jogs over to the dark-haired boy, kneeling down. He checks for a pulse first and finds it. Then does the trick to check his breathing, and that works too. There doesn’t seem to be any sort of blood. That’s a good sign, right?

He wish he knew more about first aid, but for now, it’s enough.

“He’s _okay_ ,” the redhead sighs, relieved, slumping down. He feels the burn of tears, trying his best to blink them away.

“Hey…Please don’t cry,” Marinette says gently, crouching down next to him. Nathaniel sniffles, looking over at his classmate-slash-crush cautiously. “I’m sorry you had to learn like this, but…Nathaniel. You’re the chosen one.”

“What does that even _mean_?” he demands weakly.

“Don’t worry, young man,” an unknown voice calls out.

Nathaniel quickly whips his head to look at the newcomer. An…An old man?

The Asian old man walks towards the teenagers, slow and steady. He’s wearing a long-sleeved, red button-down and khaki pants, using a cane for his prominent limp. He has white-streaked gray hair, a goatee, and kind, amber eyes.

“We’re not your enemies, you know,” the old man says, voice gravel-like and kind. “We’ll explain everything to you soon.”

“And don’t worry about Luka. We’ll find a way to send him back home,” Marinette pipes up. “He might have a concussion, or he might have fainted, but I don’t think he’s super injured!”

“Alright…” Nathaniel says slowly, clearing his throat. “Um, n-not to be rude, but…Who’re you? Sir.”

“I am Fu Cheng, Marinette’s uncle,” the old man—Fu—bows to Nathaniel. “I wish the circumstances were less dire, but it’s good to meet you, Nathaniel Kurtzberg.”

“Y-You know who I am?” the redhead finds himself squeaking, eyes darting from Fu to Marinette. “N-Never mind, M-Marinette’s probably t-told you.”

“A bit,” Fu allows nodding at him. “But I hope that our partnership will allow for me to get to know you, as well. Marinette…?”

“Already on it!” Marinette chirps, whipping out her phone. “Taxi will be here in no time.”

“Then I’ll take young Nathaniel to the shop,” the old man decides, tapping his cane on the ground. “Up and attem, son.”

“R-Right!” Nathaniel startles, scrambling onto his feet, stepping forwards to follow the old man.

* * *

All Nathaniel can do is follow Fu Cheng dazedly.

This…was all supremely weird. It feels like something straight out of an anime…

He’d just…He’d fought a monster. As a…magical girl? It sure as hell felt like it, considering he was shoved in a dress, and had a bell as a weapon. Oh, and he was a catboy on top of it, too.

And his classmate and crush, Marinette, was somehow involved, too. She helped give him his powers. And was partially responsible in saving him.

What the hell has his life turned into…?

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all those that guessed the crossover is Tokyo Mew Mew, congrats! You were right.
> 
> Art of Nathaniel/Mew Ruby:  
> https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/659753718971105286/738582901742108773/TMM_Nath.jpg
> 
> Things probably don't make much sense right now, but next chapter will have some much needed explanations from Fu and Marinette.


	4. 2.1: The Mew Mew Project

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary for chapters 1-3:
> 
> Nathaniel goes on a group date with Juleka, Rose, and Luka to an exhibit over endangered species. The boys end up separating and deciding to make it a romantic date. However, near the end of the date, there is an earthquake. Nathaniel gets knocked out.
> 
> Nathaniel wakes up from the earthquake, having had a dream about an endangered animal called the Iriomote Wildcat, Luka concerned for his wellbeing. At school, Nath starts to display oddly cat-like characteristics. He has a talk with Luka, and later decides to investigate the strange earthquake from their date. Luka tries to follow him, worried about him acting oddly, when a large rat monster attacks Luka.
> 
> Nathaniel gets caught in the middle of the monster attack. His classmate and crush, Marinette, saves Nathaniel. She grants him a pendant that unlocks superpowers in him. Nathaniel uses his powers--a pink heart-shaped bell--to defeat the monster and 'purify' it. Nath demands answers, but Marinette first goes to tend to Luka, and her uncle appears to tell the redhead to be patient and follow him.
> 
> Now that everyone's caught up, time for the explanations and some worldbuilding!

* * *

“This place…Is it a café?” Nathaniel asks cautiously, as he stops at the hedges lining the front entrance of the tall, brick building.

“It was first just a bakery,” Fu Cheng explains, “but we’ve expanded it to be part café as well. We’ve just re-opened recently.”

The old man taps his cane against the cobblestone path leading up to the entrance, turning to Nathaniel. His voices goes low and conspiratory as he says, “Welcome to the Dupain-Cheng Bakery and Café. A place to eat and relax, as well as our secret headquarters. Marinette’s parents, one Sabine and Tom Dupain-Cheng, own and run this establishment. However, they are not fully in on the know of the Mew Mews, or the monsters that threaten Paris. So please try to keep that information to yourself, hm?”

“Y-Yes, sir,” Nathaniel nods, feeling like a bobblehead. He looks around himself cautiously. “Um…C-Can I grab my things? I think I dropped them somewhere around here…”

“No need. They’re safely inside the café,” Fu says warmly, nodding his head at the entrance. “Come, come.”

Nathaniel follows behind the old man, only surging forwards to bypass him so he could hold open the door.

“My, what a polite young man!” Fu chuckles, smiling widely at him. “Thank you, young Nathaniel.”

“I-It’s no problem, sir.”

The interior is warm, Nathaniel notes the second he steps inside. Warm, and well-lit, the smell of baked bread wafting through the air. The floors are all polished wood, the tables white with red accents, the backs of the chairs shaped like hearts.

At the back of the large space, passed the seating area, are shiny glass counters, full of cakes and freshly baked wares. There’s a pair of double doors behind the space, no doubt leading to the kitchen where the baking is done.

It’s a beautiful, cozy place. The tables are already half-full, despite the earlier terrible weather. Nathaniel follows Fu Cheng’s lead, hunching into himself to make himself small out of nerves, as they go up to the glass counters.

“Until we wait for Marinette to come back, please, sit down and have a spot of something to eat and drink. I’ll get you your things for you,” Fu nods at him, moving across the counters to go to the back doors. “Sabine…! The poor boy that lost his bag is here, could you—”

“Coming!” another voice trills. In a few seconds, a short woman bustles out of the kitchen and up to the counters. The family resemblance to Marinette is obvious when Nathaniel looks at her. Marinette has her same face structure and black hair, as well as the very same bright smile.

“We’ll get you your things for you, dear. Would you like anything? It’s on the house,” Mrs. Dupain-Cheng tells him warmly.

“O-Oh, it’s no trouble, ma’am—” Nathaniel says, flustered, trying to wave off the offer.

“Nonsense! You’re a friend of Marinette’s from school. I insist,” the woman coos, reaching over to grab one of his hands in hers. She pats it comfortingly. “You look like you’ve had a rough day today. Would you like a hot chocolate and a cookie?”

Nathaniel finds himself melting under the woman’s motherly concern. “U-Um, yes, ma’am. Th-thank you, ma’am.”

“Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

“P-Please just make sure it’s Kosher. And, um. I-I’m a fan of any type of chocolate, so…”

“Well, coming right up! Just sit, and I’ll have it right out to you.”

“Ah, thank you, ma’am.”

“Just Sabine, dear. Or, if that feels too familiar, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng is fine,” the woman says, dark eyes gleaming in amusement as she watches Nathaniel fidget.

“Thank you, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng,” he ends up saying meekly, giving a little bow to her for good measure.

“What a polite boy!” Mrs. Dupain-Cheng giggles, before turning around and bustling back into the kitchen.

Nathaniel finds the nearest free table, and sinks into it, hand up to rub at his warm face.

* * *

Fu ends up sitting at his table, sipping a cup of what looks like green tea, after handing Nathaniel back his bag.

The redhead flips through his things quickly, as is habit. He double-checks his phone—no damage there. That’s a relief.

He texts Alix that he’s stopped in a café to get out of the rain, and leaves it at that. He hates lying to his best friend, but this is less lying and more…leaving a few key details out, really.

He sighs, and shoves his phone away, picking up his hot chocolate to sip.

“I-It’s delicious,” he compliments to the old man across from him. “Th-the drinks and desserts here are amazing.”

“I’m glad you think so,” the old man nods at him kindly.

Nathaniel falls back into silence, keeping himself busy by eating his cookie—a ginormous thing the size of a tea saucer, double chocolate-chip—and drinking his hot chocolate.

Eventually, Marinette enters the bakery-café, smiling and jogging up to their table.

“Luka’s fine,” she whispers to Nathaniel with a wink. Nathaniel smiles back at her, immense relief washing over him, causing a line of tension he hadn’t realized was there to melt form his shoulders.

“Marinette, dear, go and double-check if your parents need anything before joining us in the lounge,” her uncle say, setting down his teacup with a contented sigh. “I think I’m just about finished with my tea. What about you, young man?”

“I-I’m finished too.”

“Great! I’ll be right down, then!” Marinette chirps, automatically stacking their used cups and plates, bustling off to the kitchen.

* * *

Nathaniel isn’t sure what he’s expecting the ‘lounge’ to be. But it’s in the basement of the building, and it’s spacious. There’s two couches, a pool table, a TV, and some book shelves.

And it also seems suspiciously not as large as what the ground floor of the bakery-café should be…So, obviously, there must be a hidden room here, or something.

“The floors above the shop are where we live,” Fu Cheng explains, at Nathaniel’s curious surveying of the area. “So this area is rarely used. We have some of our more… _important_ things here in this basement, as well.”

Welp, that’s pretty much a confirmation about having a secret superhero lair. That’s both cool _and_ terrifying…

* * *

Nathaniel waits anxiously, pacing a bit, until Marinette comes down the stairs and enters the basement lounge.

“I think it’s time for some explanations…” Marinette says, giving Nathaniel an apologetic smile, as she locks the door behind her. “Don’t you think, Uncle?”

“That it is,” Fu nods, turning to look Nathaniel directly in the eye. “What questions do you have, young Nathaniel?”

“ _So_ many!” Nathaniel blurts, finally unable to take it anymore. They all start spilling out. “First of all, what was with that monster?! It was like a rat, but mutated! But then after I defeated it, it sort of turned back into a rat, but also there was a butterfly? And it was glowing? And—”

“Of course, of course.” Fu nods, clapping his hands together. The lights in the lounge shut off, and the TV turns on. “System, show surveillance clip from Camera C. Time code, eighteen-hundred hours, twenty-four minutes, today.”

The TV shows foggy footage of a glowing purple butterfly drifting down towards a rat. And then merging with the rat, surrounding it in dark energy, the rat rapidly growing in size.

“Pause.” The old man calls, and the scene on the TV freezes on the image of the monster-rat from before.

Nathaniel can only gape. That…That’s some _crazy_ shit, right there.

“The rat was corrupted by a being we call an Akuma,” Fu Cheng states gravely, the light of the monitor highlighting the wrinkles on his weathered face. “There are those called the Cyniclons that possess animals and turn them into savages. They do so through the means of butterflies, full of corrupted energy.”

Nathaniel takes in a breath, mind whirring. “Alright. Who’re the Cyniclons?”

“Aliens, essentially,” Marinette pipes up. Nathaniel startles, looking to his right, where Marinette has come to stand next to him.

He squints at her, half-hoping she’s joking, only seeing her face look perfectly serious. “No kidding? _Aliens_?”

“Aliens,” she nods, breaking out into a small smile. “Hard to believe, I know, but it’s true.”

“Huh. Then…What do the aliens want?”

“The Cyniclons are here to take over the Earth,” Fu states, “Because they believe that the human race is leading the planet to ruin. They want to eradicate humans in order to supplant their own people, who they believe to be the superior race.”

“If not full genocide, at the very least they’ll wipe out a majority of the population,” Marinette goes on grimly. “Best case scenario, they take over and subjugate the human race.”

It feels like ice fills Nathaniel’s veins. He shivers, feeling a cocktail of horror and rage well within him.

“Oh, _great_. I wonder where I’ve heard something like _that_ before,” he all but spits, righteously furious and disgusted. His fists clench, and he feels his nails dig into his palms.

He feels a hand on his shoulder. He glares over at a sympathetic-looking Marinette.

“I know. And I’m sorry that you have to be a part of this fight,” she says, quietly somber. The TV’s light reflects off her blue eyes, which are looking suspiciously glassy. “I wish I could be the one to take your place. I’m sorry, Nathaniel.”

Nathaniel takes in a deep breath, then another. Just like his anger management classes taught him, he breathes, holds it, counts, then lets it out.

“Not your fault,” he ends up muttering, finally uncurling his stiff fingers. He smells a hint of blood, looking down at his nails, the crescents covered in a light sheen. It’s grounding, almost, the pain of it. He looks between Marinette and her uncle, unable to stop his half-question half-demand of, “Who _are_ you people?”

“We’re the guardians of Paris, and the Earth at large,” Fu Cheng nods back at him. “We are doing our part to protect it using the DNA of the Red Data Animals.”

Nathaniel blinks, as Fu gestures to the TV screen. “System, show surveillance clip from Camera H-2. Time code, ten-hundred hours, fifty-six minutes, yesterday.”

Nathaniel gapes, as the screen shows a clip of him and Luka in the Red Data Exhibit. “You’re familiar with what these endangered species are, yes?”

The redhead finds himself spluttering. “Y-You…! Y-y-you have f- _footage_ of that?! That’s so _creepy_ …!”

On the plus side, his butt looks good from the top-view angle. Wait, no, there’s nothing good about being recorded…!

“True, but it’s the way we were able to find you and match you up with the DNA of a Red Data Animal,” Marinette sighs.

“DNA? Match?” he demands.

“The DNA of Red Data Animals have a strong power to protect their species and survive against all odds. When coming in contact with an Akuma, their DNA allows them to withstand attacks and corruption by the parasitic alien.”

Nathaniel blinks, mind whirring as the information slots into place. “So, you’re looking for people—”

“Who can match as close as possible to the DNA of these Red Data Animals,” Marinette finishes for him. “Essentially, hosts that can ‘unlock’ a sort of ‘superpower’ against the Akuma, allowing them to fight and purify Akuma.”

“W-which is what I did,” the redhead breathes, looking between the two Asians.

Fu Cheng smiles at him. “Yes, you did. You were able to unlock your cat-like powers, and turn into a Mew Mew.” The man claps his hands, and the lights go back on.

Nathaniel hisses, rubbing at his eyes at the sudden onslaught of light.

“ _Really_ , Uncle…?” Marinette sighs, long-suffering.

“Sorry, sorry. I’d forgotten to turn the lights back on earlier, and it’s not healthy to squint at one another in the dark,” the old man says lightly. “Anyways…! Do you have any other questions, young man?”

“Oh, about a good _dozen_ ,” he drawls. Next to him, Marinette snickers. He feels a little proud of that.

“That’s fair! It’s a lot to take in,” the pigtail-wearing girl nods, smiling crookedly at Nathaniel. “It took me about a while to get all the information straight myself.”

Nathaniel feels giddy, and a little flustered, at the attention he’s being given by such a cute girl. Damn, his crush is coming back full force to kick his ass, huh…?

“A-Are you a hero too? An, um… a Mew Mew, was it?” he asks, not bringing up his gripes about the title itself, which sounds supremely dumb.

Marinette’s smile falls from her face instantly, and he wonders what the hell he said to make her lose it.

“I’m afraid Marinette doesn’t have any close matches to the Red Data Animal DNA that we have at our disposal,” her uncle says. “The closest she has to one is ninety-five percent.”

“Th-that seems high, though…?” he says weakly, scrambling to try and cover up his faux-pass.

“It would be, but humans and great apes share 98.8 percent of DNA,” the girl sighs, pushing her bangs behind her ear. “So, while it’s better than no compatibility at all, we need someone who’s at _least_ a 98.8 percent match or higher to fuse with a Red Data Animal.”

“Not having perfect compatibility can cause dire consequences to one’s health,” Fu adds gravely, Nathaniel glancing over at the old man. “It could be possible in dire emergencies, but the backlash could do permanent damage.”

Nathaniel can’t help the sinking feeling that the man is talking from personal experience. Maybe his prominent limp is part of that…? He feels a little sick at the thought…

“But that’s none of your concern. You matched a perfect one hundred percent with the Iriomote Wildcat,” the old man nods at him. “Thus, the cat-like tendencies that have been amplified in you.”

“Right. Makes sense.”

The sleeping during the day, predicting the weather, love of fish, the meowing, as well as his increased flexibility. It seems to fit.

“Alright, do I have a…a superhero identity, now? I guess?” the redhead asks, just-in-case. “I can’t exactly go running around using my real name, can I?”

“No, I suppose you can’t,” the old man chuckles. “Your name comes from the heart.”

Well _that’s_ vague and supremely unhelpful.

“You said your weapon was the Ruby Bell. That name came from your heart—or your animal instincts, technically,” Marinette pipes up, waving a finger around. “So, you’re probably Mew Ruby?”

“Sounds about right,” Fu chuckles, rubbing at his goatee. “The last batch of heroines had very… _distinct_ … codenames.”

“Wait—last batch?”

“The last time the Earth needed protecting was fifteen years ago. An all-female squad was formed in Japan, under the Mew Mew Project. Each heroine had the title of ‘Mew’.”

“So…We’re following what Japan did, fifteen years ago?” Nathaniel asks slowly, in mild disbelief.

Shit, this really _was_ like an anime…!

“Well, yes! Mostly because the heads of the Mew Mew Project were nice enough to give us all their research and equipment, once the threat in Japan was solved,” Fu chuckles, nodding his head and looking off into the distance, as if remembering the very scene. “Very nice lads, they were!”

So is this why he was forced to wear a frilly, pink dress while fighting monsters, or…?

“Maybe? Probably?” Marinette says, sheepish. Nathaniel blinks, internally panicking because _he’d just asked that aloud_.

“We’re currently re-using the same DNA samples as the Japanese heroines from fifteen years ago. It could very well be that the samples are used to their previous matches, and thus, have ‘defaulted’ to their old costumes,” Fu nods. “While I’m sure it will take time to get used to, I don’t believe it’ll be any detriment to your powers or your Akuma-fighting abilities!”

“ _Well, **you** try fighting rabid monsters in a dress that barely covers anything, then!_” Nathaniel fumes internally. Externally, his eye twitches, and he grits his teeth into a pointed smile.

“Hm. I see,” he hums, very-much-calm-yessiree.

“Don’t worry, Nathaniel! I think you wear the dress well,” Marinette says, patting his shoulder, half-sympathetic and half-encouraging.

The redhead squeaks, face instantly heating up, and ducks his head to hide his mortification.

“And hey! You’re not going to be alone when you fight Akuma either!”

“Yes, it’s not just you, young man. Not only will you have Marinette to help serve as your guide, you’ll also have four companions that will join you into the creation of a guardian team.”

“Four other team members, then…?” Nathaniel mutters, raising his head to look at Fu. “That’s…That’s good. How will I know it’s them?”

“They will each have a distinct marking on their person.”

“That, and they’ll end up displaying animal tendencies or maybe even have parts of their powers,” Marinette shrugs. “Not all markings are easily visible.”

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ve noticed a marking…?” Nathaniel says, awkwardly looking down the collar of his shirt just in— “Actually, wait. Fuck. Is this it?”

He tugs down his shirt down slightly, pointing at a pink spot right on the middle of his collarbones.

“I’m _pretty_ sure I didn’t have this as a birthmark before today,” Nathaniel says weakly, face going hot as Marinette leans in to inspect it.

Oh God. Marinette’s staring at his skin, and she’s just a few inches away, oh fuck—

“I think it’s the real deal! It’s a little heart that sort of looks like the Mew pendant,” Marinette says, before pulling back, nodding with a wide grin. “Congrats! You really _are_ a Mew Mew.”

“Th-thanks?” he squeaks.

“The mark will stay there until your mission is complete,” Fu adds.

“ _Great_. My parents are gonna think I went and got myself a tattoo, or something…” the redhead mutters, yanking his collar back in place and smoothing down his bangs. Marinette snorts, then giggles.

“I’m afraid that’s not the only issue we have to speak about.” Nathaniel looks over at the old man, who’s eyes gleam mischievously. “How would you like a job working at the café, young man?”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sure hope this chapter makes sense to anyone that isn't familiar with Tokyo Mew Mew--
> 
> And for TMM fans, look! Sort of cameos by the canon characters being mentioned!
> 
> Art of Nathaniel/Mew Ruby:  
> https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/659753718971105286/738582901742108773/TMM_Nath.jpg


	5. 2.2: Getting into the Swing of Things

* * *

Nathaniel walks back to the train station, physically and mentally exhausted.

In his backpack, there’s a form. A form of employment he needs to fill and return as quickly as possible, in order to start working at the Dupain-Cheng Bakery and Café.

“We’d like you to work as a waiter here,” Fu Cheng had told him a few minutes before. “The bakery is a cover for us, but it’s still in operation. And you working here would excuse our meetings for Mew Mew business.”

“It’d be amazing to have you working here, too!” Marinette had squealed, grabbing both of Nathaniel’s hands in hers. “We can hang out so much more! Ooh, ooh, and I’ll make sure you can eat as much of the desserts here as you want…!”

Nathaniel had crumpled like a wet paper bag, in the face of Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s beaming enthusiasm.

Damn his inability to say no…! He’s _such_ a doormat! And damn his crush on Marinette, too!

But…But she held his hands in hers… And said she wanted them to hang out more…

Nathaniel sighs, eyes going distant, allowing himself to daydream just a little. He deserved something nice, after the shitshow of a day he’s had today. As a treat.

God, he’s such a sucker…

* * *

“It really is beginning, isn’t it…? The Mew Mew Project,” Uncle Fu sighs, eyes going sad and distant.

“Yeah,” Marinette nods, biting her lip as she pets a sleeping Tikki’s head, who was snuggled in her lap.

“I wish I could show her…No,” Uncle shakes his head, looking over to smile crookedly at Marinette. “No, she’s always with us.”

“And I’m sure she’s proud,” she agrees softly, stalling slightly in petting Tikki’s head, before going back to it. She peers down at the little ladybug guardian in her lap.

Auntie…If only Marinette had gotten to know her properly…

* * *

It takes three days of fucking around before Nathaniel’s finally covered his bases from Monday’s shitshow.

He’s begged forgiveness from his best friend. He’s tried to explain to his Dad why he was acting weird, hinting that he was considering taking a part-time job. He’s said hi to Marinette and told her that he was working on getting his parents’ permission to get the job at her parents’ bakery.

The only person he hasn’t really talked to is Luka.

The other boy’s schedule is insanely packed, alright! Nathaniel’s not avoiding him! It’s just… Complicated…

The redhead sighs gustily, putting his sketchbook for art class back in his locker, readying himself for his walk home with Alix. They’d both staid afterwards to attend the Art Club to work on projects, but their lockers were in different hallways, so they’d had to split.

He’ll try again tomorrow to find Luka. If that doesn’t work…Next week, for sure.

“Nathaniel…!”

Well, speak of the devil.

“H-Hey, Luka…” Nathaniel says, shuffling his feet and gripping his bag’s strap nervously.

“You were acting strange the other day…Are you alright?” the older boy asks him, all honeyed concern. It makes his stomach lurch.

“I-I’m fine,” the redhead says, with an awkward smile. “Just…Just had some time to clear my head, I guess.”

The older boy lets out a sigh, a hand up his chest. “That’s a relief! With the way your friend Alix had been talking, well…”

Huh. So he _had_ talked to Alix. That’s how he was able to find Nathaniel, before that Akuma attacked.

“Alix can be kinda protective…” the redhead sighs, before realizing what he sounds like. He waves his hands in front of himself, sputtering out, “N-Not that she’s not a great friend! Because she is! She’s my best friend!”

Luka smiles back at him. “No, I get it. I think Juleka would say something similarly about me. She says I smother her.”

“You don’t _seem_ like the smothering type,” Nathaniel blinks back at him. Sure, he seems to obviously really care about Juleka, but that’s not smothering, right…?

“Maybe you should tell Jules that. It might make her have a better opinion of me,” Luka laughs brightly, and Nathaniel flushes, clicking his mouth shut. “Anyways, you doing anything Sunday?”

Nathaniel takes a second to think, biting his lip.

Is…Is this, like…A hang-out, or…Is this…a date?

No, it’s probably not a date. And even if it _was_ , he should be prioritizing his time. Finding his fellow Mew Mews and actually convincing his parents that he can work at the Dupain-Cheng bakery-café should come first.

Plus, Mom and Jaina are visiting this weekend. He should spend time with his family.

“Sorry, I’m busy,” he starts awkwardly, watching as the hopeful smile on Luka’s face falls. “F-Family stuff, y’know?”

“Oh…Yeah, no, that’s cool. Family first, right?”

Even if his words are genuinely understanding, the older boy looks like a kicked puppy. It’s both adorable and makes Nathaniel feel supremely guilty.

“B-But I should be free next Sunday, for sure!” he blurts, because he’s always a people-pleaser.

Luka perks up, the crushed look on his face replaced with interest. “Really?”

Well. It’s not like he can lie _now_ , can he?

“Mhm,” he nods, shyly looking up at Luka through his lashes. “I-I’ll be free th-then.”

The smile Luka gives him is a slow, warm thing, like the start of Spring making the flowers bud and bloom.

“Cool. It’s a date,” the older boy says, ruffling the back of his hair boyishly and stepping backwards. “I’ll tell you the details when the day gets closer, right?”

“O-O-Okay!” Nathaniel finds himself squeaking, blinking dazedly at Luka’s beaming grin.

All Nathaniel can do is watch as the older boy gives him a dorky little wave, still walking backwards, watching his date turn around and jog down the hall.

* * *

When Luka’s out of sight, Nathaniel lets the breath out that he was holding. He slumps against his locker, feeling weak-kneed.

“Oh my God.”

“ _Dude_ , did he just ask you out one another date…?”

Nathaniel recognizes the voice instantly, slowly turning his gaze to look over at a delighted Alix.

“I…Y-Yeah?” he asks weakly, feeling dazed. “P-Please pinch me, I don’t—Ow! Fuck, don’t _actually_ pinch me, you little gremlin!”

“I mean, you asked,” Alix snickers, dodging his swat artfully. “And hey! Congrats! He did, and now you know this is real!”

“…Oh my _God_ , this is actually _real_ —” he wheezes.

Alix cackles at him all the way home.

* * *

“This planet shall soon be ours,” a deep voice says, from the pulsing blue light before him.

“Yes,” he nods.

“Do whatever necessary to claim it,” a feminine voice says, from the same pulsing blue light.

“Leave it to me,” he says, bowing grandly, his smile knife-edge sharp, canines gleaming.

* * *

Nathaniel and Alix have a sleepover on Friday.

He tries not to, but he can’t help but squint at his childhood best friend, wondering if he could find her Mew Mew mark somewhere on her body. Wondering if she even _had_ one.

If there was anyone in the entire _world_ he’d want to have fighting monsters by his side, it’d be Alix. She’s been fighting them with him since elementary school, when bullies tried to rip up Nathaniel’s drawings.

Plus, Alix was one tough cookie. She was the shortest person Nathaniel knows—even shorter than him, somehow!—but she was still able to haul his ass around. She’s also capable of beating assholes, like, three times her size in a fight. She’s absolutely fucking feral, and Nathaniel adores her for it, in a completely platonic sense.

“The fuck are you staring at me for?” Alix huffs, lightly swatting at his head. “What is it? What’d I do?”

“Nothing, nothing,” he quickly waves her off, still pensive.

Alix hasn’t changed in any way that Nathaniel can tell. She’s always been fast and flexible, so it’s not like he can blame those traits on her getting superpowers…

“It’s _gotta_ be something, since you’re staring holes at me,” Alix insists, nudging his thigh with her foot. “C’mon spill.”

He can’t tell her. About _any_ of this, really. Of him being a superhero. Of Marinette and her Uncle Fu. Of feeling confused on whether he’s falling for Luka. The Akuma. The threat of the Cyniclons. None of it.

So instead, he wonders aloud, “If you could punch an alien in the face, would you do it?”

“Hell fucking yes I would,” Alix answers automatically, snorting at him. “What, is that all? You know I’d even fistfight God, if I could.”

Nathaniel finds himself smiling, feeling comforted by Alix’s easy friendship. “Yeah. I know.”

* * *

On Sunday, the Kurtzbergs have a family dinner.

This wouldn’t be odd, except Mom’s been divorced from Dad for over a year now, and Jaina’s been gone to university, so it’s a bit rare that they’re all together for dinner nowadays.

Jaina is loud and bombastic, as always, regaling then with tales from her university experiences. A lot of them seem to include a girl named Blemir. Nathaniel wonders if Jaina’s managed to get herself a girlfriend, or a partner in crime, or both. Both would be terrifying. Jaina already gets in enough trouble by herself…

Dad eventually gets to talking, bringing the attention to Nathaniel himself.

“Recently, I think Nath’s said something about getting a job…?” Papa notes, adjusting his horn-rimmed glasses.

“Oh? Do you want to work at the restaurant too, sweetie?” Mom asks, setting aside her cutlery to put her full attention on him. Which was a little intimidating.

“W-Well. U-Um…” he stutters, feeling his face heat, as his family scrutinizes him.

Jaina grins. “Little lamb, you’re welcome to join me at the restaurant!”

“S-See, I-I, uh…” Nathaniel fidgets, wishing he could sink into the floor. God, it’s so _hard_ to ask for things…! “I-I was thinking, um…Of…G-Going s-somewhere else?”

“I see,” Mom states coolly, in the most ambiguous and neutral way possible. Which was terrifying.

“Th-there’s a—a b-bakery, th-that a friend i-in my class—her parents own it, and—and sh-she asked if I could, um. Could w-work there? They recently re-opened a-and turned it into a part café, s-so they need servers, and. And I…agreed…to it?”

He cringes, his shoulders up to his ears, and hopes to die before his Mom snipes him or something for not wanting to help at her restaurant.

“Awww, that’s sweet of you!” Jaina coos, her grin turning cat-like. “Who’s this little friend of yours, Nath?”

Alarm bells ring in his head, but Nathaniel is too far unraveled to care when he blurts out, “M-Marinette…”

“Ah, I see, I see,” his older sister hums, holding her chin, her grey eyes sparkling mischievously. “And I’m sure Marinette will be _very_ grateful when you help her parent’s bakery, hmmm?”

“I-I-It’s not l-like that!” he stutters, waving his hands in front of himself, his face aflame.

“You sure you’re not doing it to spend more time with your cruuuush?” his sister coos, wiggling her eyebrows.

“JainA!” he screeches, his voice cracking from the force of it.

“Jaina, stop teasing your brother,” Dad states, looking at her pointedly over his glasses.

She instantly raises her hands in defense. “Alright, alright, I’ll stop…” But she still looks like the cat that got the cream.

“If you really want to work at this bakery your friend’s family owns, you’re free to do so.” Nathaniel whips his gaze over to his Mom, surprised. She gives him a very stern look. “However, if at any point you notice that your kindness is being overstretched or used, you come right to me, alright?”

“O-Okay,” he nods furiously. “I will, Mama!”

“And I mean it, _Shefaile_ ,” Mom goes on, her voice going soft. “You’re kind for helping out a friend in need, but don’t let your fondness and loyalty blind you.”

“I won’t,” he says, fiddling with his bangs. “O-or, at least, I’ll try not to…?”

“That’s all I can ask for,” she sighs, reaching over to gently straighten his hair. “Now, did they get you an application to fill out? We might as well get the paperwork ready while we’re here…”

* * *

Nathaniel waits until after school the next day to ask for a minute of Marinette’s time.

“I’m so glad they said yes!” Marinette squeals, wiggling in place as she takes the filled-out form Nathaniel hands her. “We’ll get this put in the system right away! How quickly can you start?”

“W-well…Whenever, I-I guess?” Nathaniel says, cringing a little. “I-I mean, faster might be better, for the…uh. Business…”

Ah, yes, speaking in cryptic code. Rule number one of being a superhero.

“You’re right, you’re right,” the pigtail-wearing girl grins back at him. “Ooh! Actually, it might be easier to text you about starting days, now that I think about it. Can I…?”

“S-Sure!” he says, all but shoving his phone into her hands. He feels sweaty all over. He tries to subtly wipe his hands against his pants.

“Aaaand, here we are!” she chirps, handing his phone back. “Thanks!”

“N-No, th-thank _you_ ,” he stutters back, for some reason, like a total dumb fuck.

Marinette beams back at him sweetly. “I’ll see you later, then!”

“S-See you…”

* * *

He fidgets, watching from afar. Watching the redhead speak to the girl with pigtails.

His heart sinks. He…He doesn’t have a chance, does he…?

But…but maybe…It wouldn’t hurt to try, would it? He bites his lip, considering.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng…He thinks he remembers hearing that her family owns a bakery.

He’ll have to visit sometime…Maybe…Maybe he can even talk to…

His cheeks feel warm, as he adjusts his glasses.

There’s no guarantee he’ll be acknowledged…Maybe it’s for the best…

Marc will probably just end up making a fool of himself in front of his crush. But even just catching a glance of him will be enough…

* * *

Alix, naturally, teases the absolute _shit_ out of Nathaniel about finally getting Marinette’s number, after crushing on her for six months.

“I-It’s not like that…!” he tries to insist, his face hot enough to cook an egg on it.

“Suuuure, Nath. Suuure,” Alix grins, quite smugly.

* * *

When Nathaniel gets a text from Marinette Thursday morning before school, he nearly goes into cardiac arrest.

“ _Hey, you got the job!! Congrats!!_ ” is her gushing message, followed swiftly by, “ _I’ll take you to the café after school today, if you can make it!!_ ”

The redhead frets, writing up a response before furiously deleting it. He’s not sure how he should respond without coming across as awkward or disinterested.

“ _Okay, sounds good!_ ” he ends up sending, all but chucking his phone at his bed and burying his face into a pillow to scream into.

God save him from himself…

* * *


	6. 2.3: Suspicions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the original anime, the main hero finds their second team member in episode 2. I decided to re-arrange the order of episodes a little bit to help lend some realism in the search, as well as expand some scenes. It'll help build a bit of suspense, too.

* * *

“So, what’s the plan for today?” Alix asks him, kicking at his shoe with her own sneakers.

They’re both eating lunch on the roof again, Alix all but dragging Nathaniel away from his class. He’d been too distracted by staring at Marinette to really put up much of a struggle.

“P-Plan? What plan?” Nathaniel asks nervously, a bit too quickly.

His best friend gives him a flat look. “Uh, dude, you’ve been acting _really_ weird since this morning.” A smirk spreads on her lips and she teases, “Wait, did Marinette text you about something…?”

“Um.” The redhead stalls, finding his face going warm with a blush.

Alix laughs, throwing an arm around his shoulder and shaking him. “What, did you get a date with her or something?”

“N-No! Nonono, it’s not a date!” he yelps, waving his hands around. “I-I already have one with—”

“Luka. Yeah, I remember,” Alix hums, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

Nathaniel groans, burying his face in his hands, feeling his skin burn against his fingers.

“M-Marinette texted me a-about a job,” he tells his best friend, because he can’t ever really keep anything from her. Revealing this _one_ piece of information is the only thing he can do since he has to keep everything _else_ a secret. “I-I um, got a job at her parent’s b-bakery.”

“Ohhhhh, so _that’s_ why she gave you her number, huh?” Alix reasons. Nathaniel quickly glances at her though his fingers to see a calculating look on her face.

“Y-Yeah…And, um. I-I’m going there after school t-today…” he trails off.

“Huh. That’s quick. They’re already going to train you?” Alix asks, squinting at him. “Must be pretty desperate for workers then…”

Christ. It’s _terrifying_ how intelligent his best friend was, sometimes.

“Th-they added a café, s-so they need workers. A-and M-Marinette put in a g-good word for me…” he says, feeling a surge of nerves as he carefully balances on a tightrope of careful half-truths.

“Well, that’s nice of her,” Alix hums, knocking her shoes together as she tilts her head to stare back at him. A slow smile spreads on her face, impish and crooked. “And you must be really, ah, _grateful_ for her getting you that job, hm?”

“U-Uh…” he trails off, frozen, face burning like a furnace.

His best friend snickers, ruffling his hair. “Hah! Look at you, catching the eyes of the most popular kids at school! Soon enough, you’ll amass a harem or something like those anime protags.”

Nathaniel bats her hand away from his hair, shoving at her shoulder as she cackles. “Fuck _off_ , Al!”

He was already living life as the protagonist to a magical girl anime…! He doesn’t need a harem on top of it!

* * *

Nathaniel packs up his things at the speed of light, wondering how he should approach Marinette.

Maybe he should wait outside for her…? It’s not like he could just walk up to her, that’s for sure. Marinette is too popular for him to do that.

The half-Chinese girl ends up answering his question by walking right up to his desk. “Hey, Nathaniel! You ready to go?”

The redhead can all but _feel_ the stares of the rest of his classmates. Even Max Kante—who is always the first person out the door—pauses at the doorway to look back at the scene with mild interest.

In particular, Nathaniel finds someone on his right glaring daggers at him.

He looks from the corner of his over to see Juleka staring at him intently, eyes narrowed.

Oh. That makes sense. It must look…suspicious. Him going somewhere with Marinette, when he’s supposed to be going on a date with Luka later in the week.

So, feeling like a bundle of nerves, he stutters out an awkward, “I-Is today j-just a t-t-training day at the bakery…?”

Marinette blinks confused bluebell eyes back at him. “Oh! Yes, it’s just us showing you around, talking about your duties and the uniform and stuff. The usual.”

Instantly, Nathaniel senses half the stares divert from the two of them, and he nearly collapses on his desk in relief then and there.

“You got hired at the Dupain-Cheng’s?” Juleka asks, and Nathaniel jolts in his seat, whipping his head to look over at his friend. The goth girl’s amber eyes are much less judgmental than they were before.

“Y-Yeah,” he nods, tentative. “M-Maybe you and Rose can come by on a date sometime…?”

“Ooh, please! You’ll love our desserts!” Marinette says brightly, bouncing on her toes.

“I’m up for desserts!” Rose trills, surging up from her seat and raising a hand, as if she was still in class. The short girl plants a quick kiss against the temple of her still-seated girlfriend. Juleka’s cheeks flush a delicate pink.

“My family’s bakery re-opened recently, and we’ve added a café to it! So people can now properly sit and enjoy their food, plus with drinks now!” Marinette says, peppy as she casually advertises her parent’s business.

“Sounds cool,” Juleka mumbles, while her girlfriend nods enthusiastically.

“It does! We’ll go there sometime soon!” Rose declares, picking up one of Juleka’s hands to thread through hers.

“I’ll hold you to it, then,” Marinette says, winking at the girlfriends. She turns her beaming smile to Nathaniel, who was still stalled in his seat. “So…? You ready to go?”

“Y-Yeah, sorry,” he sputters, scrambling to stand. “L-Lead the way.”

He still feels two pairs of eyes drilling into the side of his skull as he shoulders his bag and makes to follow Marinette. He carefully glances up through his bangs.

One is Alya, Marinette’s best friend— which makes sense, all things considered.

The other is Max Kante, who is still paused at the door, staring at Nathaniel and Marinette like he’s trying to solve a puzzle.

Nathaniel ignores the two dark-skinned brainiacs who are too smart for their own good. Maybe if he tries to keep acting casual, they won’t find him suspicious.

* * *

Alix isn’t the type to be nosy.

Actually, that’s sort of a lie. She’s a naturally curious person.

But she doesn’t try to be nosy on _purpose_.

The fact of the matter is that she’s curious on what’s gotten to her best friend lately. Usually, he tells her what’s wrong. It might take a little bit for him to get over his embarrassment, and she might need to coax it from him, but Nathaniel is an honest type of person. He’s steadfast and loyal and open to his family, and he’s deemed Alix his sister in all but blood.

He’s keeping something from her. She can tell.

When he tells her at lunch that he was going to work at Marinette’s parent’s bakery, Alix felt like the puzzle pieces were finally falling into place.

Nathaniel’s obviously still crushing on Marinette. He’s been crushing for a solid six months now, and probably crushed for even longer before that without really realizing. But he’s also obviously attracted and interested in Luka Couffaine.

Her best friend is torn between his affections for two different people.

Now, Alix may be someone who loves pranks and mischief and being a gremlin every hour on the hour, but she’s also super supportive of the people she cares about.

If she needs to, she’s going to do her best to wingman the hell out of her best friend.

Nathaniel needs her support.

Which is why she waits for Nathaniel and Marinette at the school gates, ready to forcefully insert herself as a third wheel to mediate between the two.

She sure as hell can’t always be there during the hours Nath’s working at the Dupain-Cheng bakery-café to help mitigate the damage of the redhead accidentally making a fool of himself because of his obvious crush, but she can run damage control for today.

And if she ends up as a regular to the Dupain-Cheng bakery-café because she’s trying to support her best friend, well, that’s just a bonus for Marinette’s family.

* * *

He hides behind a nearby tree, watching as the redhead and Mariette Dupain-Cheng leave the school together. Another girl—with dyed pink hair—joins them.

Ah…They were all going to the bakery together, were they?

He adjusts his glasses with one hand, the other clutching his notebook to his chest.

He would follow them, except…He has practice today.

And it’s not like he could skip…The upcoming competition is in a few weeks…His team needed him…

Marc sighs, turning to go find his upperclassmen. Maybe some other time…

* * *

Nathaniel squints over at Alix incredulously, who’s decided to tag along with him and Marinette.

Was she purposefully trying to cockblock him…? Honestly, it was hard to tell with his best friend. She was capable of flipping between being a little demon and being an angel, and there was rarely an in-between.

Marinette had at first just blinked at Alix, taken aback, before seemingly decided to roll with it. Obviously, she was hoping to have Nath alone to talk about Super Secret Mew Mew Business, but was able to adapt and change plans mid-stream.

“I’ve been to your parent’s bakery a few times before,” Alix starts casually, as she purposefully walks between Nathaniel and Marinette. “Has the menu changed much since you added that café part?”

“Oh! Yeah, it has, actually,” Marinette nods, grinning back at the shorter girl, before launching into a gushing review of the revamped menu.

Nathaniel just metaphorically sits back and let the girls talk. If that gave him the excuse of not embarrassing himself in front of Marinette, well, that was his business.

Plus, this way, he could watch Marinette’s bright smile and brighter eyes as she happily chattered about something she so obviously loved…

Ugh. His crush was getting out of control.

And should he really allow himself to be so obviously smitten with Marinette, when he was technically dating Luka…?

Nathaniel falls quiet and thoughtful, conflicted and guilty, as his friends talked while they boarded the subway.

“Nathaniel, you’ve gone quiet…”

The redhead blinks out of his churning thoughts, turning his gaze up to look at the concerned bluebell eyes of one Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

“I-I’m fine,” he stutters out. “J-Just, um…Thinking.”

“The nerves getting to you?” Alix asks him, propping her arm on shoulder casually.

Nathaniel gives an awkward laugh. “Um…y-yeah.”

It’s not a lie. He _is_ nervous. About working at the café. About his duties as Mew Ruby. About his complicated feelings over his strange love life.

“You don’t have to worry! Mom and Uncle already like you from just one meeting,” the half-Chinese girl tells him soothingly with a soft smile. “And if you need any help, I’ll be there to walk you through things! So you won’t have to deal with anything alone, y’know.”

Nathaniel finds a line of tension leave his shoulders.

That’s right…Nathaniel has Marinette to fall back on. In both the café, and in his duties as a Mew Mew.

He’s not alone when it comes to saving the world. He has people that will help him…

Alix decides in that moment to poke at his cheek. He automatically swats her finger away.

“Yeah, I mean, first days on the job are hard. But I’m trusting Marinette will help cover your ass if anything happens,” Alix nods, grinning at him, before turning her grin at the half-Chinese girl. “I can count on that, right?”

“You can count on me!” Marinette chirps, laughing a little as she gives a salute to the best friends.

* * *

“ _Where_ are you going now…?”

He turns, grinning crookedly at his disapproving compatriots.

“Information gathering, of course,” he tells them lightly, with a picture-perfect smile, canines gleaming. “Unlike the both of you, I’m not afraid of getting in the middle of things.

“If you get caught, that could prove detrimental. We are undercover, if you’ve forgotten,” the other male tells him, venomous and disapproving. “The fact that no one knows we are here, because they haven’t seen us, is what’s working to our advantage.”

“And how will we get to know the enemies’ weaknesses, if we’re always cooped up inside, playing hide-and-seek?” he asks the other mockingly.

“This isn’t a game, Blanc!” the only female of the trio snaps, sneering back at him. “The mission is on the line!”

“The _mission_ has been at a snail’s pace since we got here,” he points out, rolling his eyes. “If we don’t take risks, we won’t get rewarded.”

“Risks can outweigh the reward,” the other male tells him coldly.

“Some risks are worth taking,” he drawls, fighting down a roll of his eyes. “And besides, I’ve been the most effective at blending in with the humans so far. I’m our best bet at gathering reconnaissance, and you both know it.”

“…He’s right,” the lone female sighs, hands on her hips, a frown pinching her face.

“ _Fine_ ,” the other male spits, narrowing his eyes with a snarl. “But if you fail, it’s _your_ head on the chopping block.”

“Oh, I know,” he says with a sickly-sweet smile. “Now, let me go and prove my worth. The two of you can hide and fall behind even further, but _I’m_ not going to still by idly any longer.”

Blanc turns on his heel, and leaves.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder who those Aliens are. Any theories? [eyes emoji]


End file.
